Ahaed of that brutal stretch, Noonan understands that the Reserve League players are ready -- both physically and mentally -- to participate.

NOONAN:"[We provide] Depth. Who knows how long some of these guys that are injured are going to be. It's going to take guys to step in and be sharp in games like this so that their fitness is there and their concentration is there and they're coming to play. If not, then you're going to still be there in a reserve role to get late minutes in those playoff games. It's going to be very important because especially with the playoff format where it's a Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday if we're able to advance, we're going to need guys and healthy bodies so everyone is going to need to be contributing."